Sick sneezing and coughing chicken

by Linda
(Antioch, CA, USA)

Don't know what to give my chicken as a home remedy as I am very new to chickens. I have started with apple cider vinegar in the water to the chickens. What else can I give them to help that I may have in my home?

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Linda,

You say that your chickens are sick and sneezing, but you haven't given me any symptoms. A sneezing chicken could be as a result of the bedding you are using and it is just causing an irritation.

However, if your sick chicken has other symptoms, such as breathing difficulties, gummy eyes, gasping, dirty vents etc. then we know what we are dealing with.

I suggest that you check to see that your chickens are not directly in a draught. They like to be housed in protected conditions, but still with good ventilation.

Separate the sick ones from the rest of the flock. If they have breathing difficulties you can either spray a fine mist of camphor over the birds, or place a few drops of camphor oil into each nostril. If you don't have camphor oil at home you can use hydrogen peroxide instead. Dilute it 50:50 and place a few drops into the nostrils.

Then fast your chickens for a day, but giving them clean drinking water with the cider vinegar. Make sure that you use the right cider vinegar. It must contain the mother culture. This is the only cider vinegar that has healing properties. You can also add a teaspoon of active Manuka honey to the water if you have it.

The day after the fast, feed them a laxative diet of cod liver oil, spinach and other greens, chopped garlic and a small onion. If you don't have cod liver oil you can give them a warm mash mixed with molasses, cider vinegar, spinach, garlic and onion.

If you have sage and/or aloe vera in your garden/house you can add this to the feed as well.

Unfortunately, respiratory problems in chickens can account for a whole number of diseases and illnesses. This is why it is difficult to make a judgement based on what little you have told me. However, 9 times out of 10 it is just a common cold, although there are times that chickens can die of such things, just as humans can from the flu. So all precautions have to be taken.

Comments for Sick sneezing and coughing chicken

My chickens had symptoms of discharge from their nostrils. They were sneezing and two were sitting there gasping for air (sadly we lost those two).

I had no idea what was going on and tried researching on the Internet and didn't come back with many results. I ended up adding Condies crystals to their water and gave them crushed garlic mixed in with their food daily for about two weeks. (I did this for all chooks, sick or not).

I have continued with the garlic every second day and will continue to do so until the end of winter. (too scared to stop in case they get sick again).

Is there anything else I should do if this reoccurs again?

Thank you!

Kim **************************************************Kim,

My attitude to chooks is prevention is better than cure.

We are what we eat, and it is no different to chickens. Have a look at the article I wrote entitled: What do chickens eat? And you will see that a balanced diet will solve a lot of potential health issues.

You did a good job in giving the chickens garlic and the crystals. I always add cider vinegar to their water, along with either whey, sour milk or yogurt each week.

Add plenty of good greens to their diet, some meat scraps, and herbs like parsley and chopped up aloe vera.

Don't bring in new chickens to a flock from a supplier that cannot guarantee that they are disease free.

Keep your chicken coop extremely clean, and in combination with a good diet, your chickens should be fine.